Hello beautiful friends,
I hope this finds you feeling vital and happy.
I’m passionate about encouraging people to love and care for themselves. Treating ourselves well expands our health and happiness. But recently I’ve been concerned after hearing several people, clients and friends commenting about taking medication for pain and flu symptoms. I was surprised at their readiness to reach for a drug and it occurred to me that I haven’t even taken a pain killer for possibly 30 years.
As I pondered the ‘medicinal drug’ topic, I asked myself whether my lack of medication ‘experience’ was just good luck or good genes or could it be related to the choices I make every day and if so, what is it that I’m doing that contributes to my drug-free existence?
So, grateful for my good health, compassionate to your suffering and cognisant of the fact that we all carry complex stories of life experience that affect our overall wellbeing (i.e. it’s not all your fault and sometimes medication is essential), here’s my offering for you today. I hope it empowers you to practice impeccable self-care and support your body to heal naturally.
We all have different demands on our time, but whether you’re working, raising children or retired, I implore you to give your body a chance to guide you as to what it needs and show you the path to healing. You’ll not only emerge feeling better for it but wiser too. Not every suggestion will suit every circumstance but if you gradually and increasingly incorporate each of them into your daily life, over time, even whilst taking prescription drugs*, they’ll help to diminish the effects of toxic build-up and create a healthier you.
All drugs are toxic, no exception! (Dr. Andrew Saul). Choose nature.
(*Of course, consult your medical practitioner before you make any adjustments or stop prescribed medication).
7 THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU MEDICATE (especially for pain)
1. Pull Yourself Together! WARNING- the following paragraph may make you feel guilty!
I’m sorry to say I’m amazed at the number of clients, regular clients, all having most likely heard my spiel about posture more than once, who sit in my office chair telling me about their spinal pain whilst slumping! If you’re not aware of your posture when you’re sitting in front of your physio, then what’s the likelihood of it happening elsewhere?
If your body’s hurting, your first act should be to support it from the inside out. Dig deep and hold yourself consciously. Your postural muscles lie deep, closest to your joints and bones. The more you practice good posture the more in-touch you become with these intrinsic muscles and the easier it becomes. Adjust and align your posture, breathe fully and relax then reassess. “How does my pain feel now?”
2. Move It! Rule of thumb 1: if your pain is less acute, intermittent and related to specific movements, movement can ease the pain. There’s no need to go far. Simply sit or lay down where you are and move or stretch your body to specifically affect the area of your pain. If you’re at home, roll out your yoga mat (get yourself an exercise mat if you don’t have one) and stretch. If you have an exercise program or exercises that you know help, do them. Do them every hour if need be. If it feels good, do more. If you don’t know what to do then ask your body what it needs. Tune in. Do you get a picture, a feeling or a sense of how you need to move? I often find clients come to me knowing exactly what relieves their pain the most but they’re not doing it!
Trust yourself, your body. You know.
3. Walk it off. If your pain allows you this freedom, then get out and go for a walk. Move with awareness and good posture whilst at the same time being as fluid as you can to allow your dynamic (superficial) muscles to re-set their resting tension to a healthier, more relaxed state.
Movement increases blood flow and oxygen uptake, lubricates joints, releases tension, increases strength and stimulates the release of serotonin – your feel-good brain chemical. It’s a no-brainer. Schedule walks. Make exercise your priority.
4. Do Nothing Rule of thumb 2: When your pain is more acute and aching in nature you need to move gently or not at all. Sometimes the best action is no action. Aching pain is a signal that your tissues are inflamed and vulnerable and rest may be your best move. Literally lay down and rest as much as possible to allow your body the space and time to heal. Apply ‘rest’ to your daily life too by doing less. Limit your activities especially the ones that you know exacerbate the pain. If you don’t know, then consciously seek to discover what works and what doesn’t work for you to live with greater comfort.
5. Veg Out. If you’re in pain, alkalising your body can promote healing and minimise the inflammatory process that’s the biochemical foundation of all disease. Eat lots of leafy greens, salad vegetables and all vegetables. Drink juices. Take green powder supplements. Reduce animal protein, grains, sugars and alcohol which all contain acidic minerals. Check out my blog here, on the ‘Acid-Alkaline’ balance and it’s importance for your health.
6. Consult Nature’s Pharmacy Recently I woke in the middle of the night with discomfort in my lower abdomen and feeling nauseous. So I thought about my symptoms and reached for my Young Living essential oils. I rubbed clary sage (an anti-spasmodic oil) over by belly, inhaled peppermint (anti-nausea oil) and grabbed a hot water bottle. Within minutes I was asleep again and when I woke the next morning my symptoms were gone (and no I’m not pregnant!).
Mother nature has provided us with everything we need right out there in her abundant garden. Educate yourself on natural healing herbs and essential oils and you’ll spare yourself from the toxic build up of laboratory pills. (You can order Young Living essential oils through me).
7. See a Professional Sooner I hear this story all the time. “I had a mild niggling pain for months then I just did _____ and I felt severe pain and now I can’t move my _____.”
Seeking professional help sooner can save you both pain and money. The longer a pain is present the more out of balance you become as your body adopts compensatory patterns to move with the least discomfort. And if you see a therapist when the pain is less you can minimise irreversible damage and avoid that possible acute crisis in the future as well as a more lengthy and costly healing time.
I’m constantly aware of my body’s posture in all I do every day.
I use meditation, yoga and pranayama (breathing practices) as an internal massage and get out in nature almost daily, walking, swimming or simply being barefoot to ground me in the Earth’s energies.
I have a ‘Deep Rest’ several days a week, laying down on my bed and simply practicing the art of consciously relaxing for at least 20 minutes.
I eat mostly organic, fresh, whole plant foods and use only organic skincare products, natural healing herbs and essential oils.
I have a support network of professionals that I know are right for me. And whether I’m in pain or unwell or not, I have a massage or healing session of some sort once a month for the sheer pleasure of it, though I know it’s also working at many levels to enhance my wellbeing.
Are you placing your health the priority it deserves to live your life free of pain and free to enJOY life’s sweet nectar fully?
I care about you. Are you caring enough about yourself? Share how you self-care in the comments below. We’d love to hear your tips too.
JOYful love,
